1. Field of the Invention
This invention would come under Class 267, Subclass 132 as a seat support for vehicles, bicycles, or vessels. The device is a buffer between the seat of the vehicle/vessel and the frame. It cushions the rider/driver by providing a stable base for the seat as the frame is jarred by the bumps and dips in the road/water/snow and it transfers horizontal motion to the traditional vertical motion provided for by foam or springs in the vehicle/vessel seat. It is a mechanical device that can be adapted to any vehicle that has a seat and a frame by fastening it between that existing seat and frame.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Earlier art has included devices which rely on the use of springs or various other means to give the cushioning up and down motion and a few devices which give some backward and forward motion but none previously which furnish an arc-caused rise on either end of the forward and back motion or which provide the smoothness of the motion in this support or its gravity centered return and sling like effect. This slight rise at the end of the arc causes the rider/driver to feel very secure on the seat and be almost unaware of the forward and backward motion of the vehicle/vessel because the support allows the seat to remain more stable. Specific prior art which had some elements in common but also important differences include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,295 by Francu PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 1,120,379 by Epley PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 1,453,326 by Senttop PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 518,539 by Breau PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,639,760 by Szilagyi
With this invention, on a horizontal plane, there is no tolerance for motion fore and aft. The springs help only on a vertical plane. On my invention, the support provides fore and aft cushioning and the springs are separate (not a part of the invention but part of the existing seat only). It is gravity that returns the seat to the center (neutral) position after its fore and aft motion rather than a spring.
The seat on this one is bolted indirectly to the frame, thus it provides no relief from the horizontal shock except through the spring which actually transfers shock to the rider rather than away from him/her. My invention does not depend on springs to cushion the shock. My invention uses gravity. bearings, and a short arc rather than springs. Mine also provides a slight upward motion at the ends of each forward and back motion which gives a feeling of stability to the driver/rider because of its sling-like effect.
This invention definitely uses springs for horizontal shock and my invention does not use springs. The spring transfers shock to the rider rather than away from him/her. Springs do not provide the smoothness and feeling of stability that my invention provides by using gravity, bearings, and a short span of the arc to cushion the horizontal shock.
This invention uses brackets/shackles as supports for the seat whereby the frame of the vehicle is attached to the lower pivot point of the bracket and the seat is attached to the upper pivot point of the bracket and a spring is used to hold the bracket up straight. Because of this the seat will fall to the front or back and does not use gravity to return to the center position. On my invention, the seat is attached to the lower rather than upper pivot point and the frame is attached to the upper rather than lower one so that the center of the arc is in a neutral area and no springs are needed to hold it in the there. On my invention, the seat is stable and gravity returns it to the center point. This seat has an arc that is the reverse of the one on my seat and thus doesn't give the rider/driver the same feeling of stability of the seat.
This support has no accommodation for fore and aft shock of the frame. The value of my invention is based on its accommodation to and relief of fore and aft shock of the vehicle/vessel.